Tribute
by Spottedeyes
Summary: She was nothing more than a tribute to the god of the seas, just another stolen girl plunged into the chaos.
1. Chapter 1

Tribute

Prologue:

She could see nothing but darkness as people wearing silver masks and blue and silver silk robes led her higher up the tower, three Eevee followed closely behind, angrily growling at her anytime her gaze left the floor. The girl was no more than five or six years old. Her long, straight blond hair was combed and free of any small bumps or tangles and she wore an oversized robe just like the masked men and women wore.

The young girl thought of her older sister, Tori. Her sister was her lifeline in a sense. Tori, although only ten years old, had always been the mother that her actual mother failed to be. She longed to close her eyes and think about her chocolate-colored wavy hair and sapphire eyes.

The girl tried to grab onto one of the masked people's robes for comfort and assurance only to have her hand swatted away. The people scolded her in that strange language they spoke. It wasn't anything her inexperienced mind had ever heard. The words, "anata iyashī keii o watashi ni furenaide kudasai!" Those words were burned into her memory. It wasn't the first time they had scolded her. When she would speak, asking where she was, they would respond with, "hanasanai, orokana on'nanoko!" The only words she could understand were 'brass' and 'tower'.

She tried to look past the leading masked person, earning another slap and harsh, foreign phrase. The girl began looking at the floor. It was really the only place she could look without being punished. The flooring below was a lovely dark mahogany wood. She could see her shallow reflection in the polished surface, along with all the other masked peoples' and the Eevee who tailed the group.

The normal types brought the girl some peace of mind. Both of her parents were Eevee trainers, so she was exposed to their evolutions on a daily basis. She and her sister both had their own as well. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her Pokémon. The masked people had struck and sent her Eevee, whom she called Nova, away when it tried to follow her into the building. The girl hoped to leave the place quickly and look for her Pokémon then go home to Tori. She'd know how to make it better.

She head jerked forward when she was slapped. The girl had learned that crying always resulted in pain since day one. Her father would always yell and sometimes go as far as to hit her and threaten her with his Jolteon when she cried. Since then she tried hard not to cry, but she was tired and afraid.

The girl's gaze shifted forward when she felt the drizzle return, dappling her head with raindrops. Thunder sounded in the distance. Her heart started to beat quicker when the masked people moved away from her. The Eevee split towards the sides, with only one, the smallest one, remaining behind her, acting as a watch-dog to make sure the girl didn't bolt. She stared at the masked person who had led her and the other men and women up the building. The person was ahead of everyone else, arms spread out and head facing the sky as the person got down to a knee.

"Umi no OH-ryoku aru kami, jibun jishin o akiraka ni shi, omāju to shite kono shōjo o ukeire!" The person bellowed as lightning flashed in the distance.

She didn't even notice how badly her knees were shaking and how much she was shaking with fear. The rain began to come down noticeably harder, each droplet feeling like a tiny bullet as they pelted the girl, Pokémon, and masked people. The girl squeaked as another bolt of lightning landed somewhat closely to the building. She looked at the masked people, hoping that they too would be afraid, but their masks cloaked their reactions.

A moment of silence followed the lightning strike. The steady beat of falling rain was the only thing the girl could hear. Her fear dwindled away. Nothing was happening, yet the masked person still sat on its knees, arms wide open and face staring straight into the heavens. Her blue eyes shifted to her surroundings. She was standing on the top of a flat roof in front of a large, silver block, almost like the base of a statue. Words were engraved in the block, but she was too far away to read it. Suddenly, a deafening boom of thunder broke the peaceful pitter-patter sound that the rain had created. The wind started to pick up, sweeping the gray storm clouds into a dark cyclone. Rain turned to hail, striking her and the masked people with a greater ferocity than the rain had. The girl stared into the vortex above, her face twisting into a silent scream as two bright silver eyes bore down at her from the great mess in the sky. She didn't even notice when the lightning struck the left side of the building, lighting it aflame. The girl never saw the masked people nor the Eevee who fell after the strike.

The hail did nothing to quench the fire's thirst and the intense wind only helped the flames spread around the building, wrapping the girth of the building in a belt of fire.

"Masutā, anata wa nani o shite iru! Anata wa watashitachi subete o korosu!" The masked person cried, getting up off the ground and stumbling back.

The young girl's gaze never left the vortex above her. Her eyes widened in shock as more bright silver lines appeared, mapping out the shape of a beast that not even her worst, most creative nightmares could conjure.

A pair of giant, flipper-like appendages sprouted from the long, smooth body of the beast. A long, thick tail adorned with spines sprouted from the back of the elephantine body. The more she looked, the more spines she realized the beast harbored. Two rows of them ran down the creature's back. The armor that protected the eyes looked sharper than any of the monster's spines. As her eyes looked further down, she saw the round, dull talons of the beast sticking out from the enormous feet and thick legs.

"GYAAAAA!" The monster shrilly cried, the storm around it intensifying as it wailed.

The girl felt the ground beneath her shake as the loose flames continued to devour the wooden structure. Faded screams blew past her ears. Red and yellow licks of fire erupted in her gaze, swallowing the right half of the roof. The remaining portion of the masked people and the Eevee that stood beside them were gone.

"Tori, help me!" She screeched, her eyes crammed shut.

Her older sister never came to her aid.

"GYAAAA!" The beast cried again, its flipper-like appendages curving inward.

The hail came to a stop, rain quickly taking its place. The water showered the building, quickly flooding what remained of the roof. The frigid water easily knocked the little girl and last Eevee off their feet, dragging them back down the chute that they came from.

The two tumbled down the seemingly endless flight of stairs, falling through several holes that the flames had eaten away. The water bulldozed through wood-support beams and knocked away any bits of the building weakened by the flames. The girl would gasp for breath whenever she'd manage to get her head above the water. Never had she seen nor heard of rain destroying buildings and rising that high and quickly. Her silk robe that the masked people had provided for her had become riddled with the rain water, weighing her down as she struggled. The girl felt around for the remaining Eevee, but her hands only grasped empty water. The last Eevee of the trio was gone, taken by the water.

After what felt like an eternity for the young child, the water spat her out of the nearly destroyed structure, sending her rolling across the path for a brief moment. More screams filled her ears as she hacked up water. Trembling, she forced herself to her feet and stumbled away from the building.

"Nova!" She called, her eyes wild with panic as frantic civilians ran through the town.

The girl looked around in a frenzy, not knowing if she would be able to take losing another Eevee. She yelped when a person knocked her to the ground as she ran from the tower, calling for other people. Throwing the silver and blue robes off of herself, she ran away from the crowd in just a skin-tight tank top and blue work-out shorts. Just as the tall grasses came into view, a familiar chirping noise sounded from the crowd. She skidded to a stop, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes brightened.

"Nova!" She cried, waiting for the normal type to catch up with her before she crossed the border between the city and the wild.

However, she knew that even if she did get home, she would never be the same again. The image of the beast and the silver masks would be forever scarred into her mind.

**Translations:**

**anata iyashī keii o watashi ni furenaide kudasai! = don't touch me you lowly tribute!  
**

**hanasanai, orokana on'nanoko! = do not speak!  
**

**Umi no OH-ryoku aru kami, jibun jishin o akiraka ni shi, omāju to shite kono shōjo o ukeire! = oh mighty god of the seas, accept this tribute!  
**

**Masutā, anata wa nani o shite iru! Anata wa watashitachi subete o korosu! = Master, what are you doing? You'll kill us all!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Phantom Child

A girl around the age of fourteen walked through the tall grasses near New Bark Town, an Eevee at her side. She kept her breathing shallow and quiet. It was an art that had taken her years to perfect. Her Eevee was doing it as well. Over the years, she had learned that it was best to keep quiet and out of sight. Only a few Sentret and Pidgey saw her, watching her and the Eevee with interest as they murmured quietly to one another. She kept against the trees, going onto all fours whenever people would come into sight.

She'd been on her own for quite a while now. In the beginning, she had stayed in Pokécenters, telling the nurses that her older sister would come and get her in a few days. At first, the girl had been dumb enough to stay for weeks at a time in one Pokécenter. She would only leave when Nurse Joy would call the police, insisting that she had been abandoned. Most of the police were men though, and men… they scared her. People in general scared her a little. All of her running had earned her the title 'Phantom Child', for no one had managed to catch her for the seven years she'd been in Johto. For a while, the region's efforts actually put some focus on catching her; offering large rewards for her safe capture and having officers and trainers search the tall grass around each town three times a day. Once in the morning, another time in the afternoon, and once more at dusk. This lead to her distrust of the law and just people in general. She really just trusted the wild Pokémon and her own Eevee. They were the only things the teenager could have a calm, relaxed conversation with anymore. Before the big fire at the Brass Tower, her conversations mostly consisted of guessing and checking. Her Eevee would squeak and chatter at her, and she would repeat what she thought the Pokémon said to see if it was right before giving her own answer. Now, the Pokémon spoke like she did. She remembered the exact moment with clarity.

_The girl took cover in the shrubbery at least a mile away from the place with the cyclone, hugging her Pokémon tight against her chest. Despite her ordeal, she made sure to keep the burning tower in her sights. Tears rolled down her face as she shivered. The whole scene confused her. She had never been out in the rain before. Tori would always tell her that she'd catch a cold if she stayed out too long. She always believed Tori. _

_She shut her eyes for a brief moment, only to snap them back open. A melodic song and orange light washed over the land. She looked up, her heart speeding up when she saw what looked to be a giant bird Pokémon of some sort, with enormous wings and wide tail feathers; some sort of gold glitter-like substance fell as it flew towards the flaming wreckage. The golden light intensified when the bird reached the tower, the brightness seeming to pulsate. In moments, the fire was no more. She gasped when the first cry rang out._

_"KOU!" _

_"Vee…" Nova murmured softly, burying her head into her human's shoulder. _

_She silently stroked the Eevee with numb fingers. More lightning found their way to the ground, shaking the earth. The thudding of paws on soggy ground echoed in her ears. She looked to the side only to see a flash of yellow and purple. The thunderstorm seemed to follow whatever had run past her. Another screech rattled the girl._

_"TEI!"_

_Her eyes were trained on the path, waiting for whatever monster that had roared to appear. A brown blur raced by her, its paws hissing each time it hit the wet on the path. The drizzling soon returned and the light seemed to get worse. She could only squint now. One last wail sounded from the remains of the building. _

_"CUNE!"_

_She braced herself for the final monster to run past, but this one never did. She and Nova exchanged slightly surprised glances through the intense golden glow. The rain quickly stopped after the last cry, but the intense light stayed. The girl felt heat wash over her and the light grew even brighter, yet her eyes were forced open, enduring the harsh brightness as the giant bird left the smoldering remains of the tower and came towards the girl. Similar to the beast that lived in the vortex, she could only see the outline as it drew closer. It bellowed a cry that made her ears bleed, it was not the same melody that she had heard before. She felt her insides quiver as the beast came closer. Her brain felt like churning mush. The girl couldn't comprehend what was happening to her, she heard nothing but a deafening silence. She didn't know how long it lasted, nor when the exact moment was when she blacked out._

_XXX_

_She awoke to the sound of a light breeze. Her blue eyes creaked open to see Nova, staring at her with concern. _

_"Nova… what happened?" The girl wined, rubbing at her eyes as she sat up._

_"I don't know." The Pokémon responded._

_The girl barely suppressed a scream as she rolled away from the Eevee. She breathed heavily, staring at the normal type with great confusion._

_"Sara, are you alright?" Nova asked, her tone heavy with worry._

_"Why are you talking?" Sara gaped._

_Nova cocked her head, "what are you talking about?"_

_The girl got to her feet, her knees knocking against each other as she took in her surroundings. This wasn't home. _

_"Where's Tori?" She asked quietly, looking to the Eevee for an answer._

_"If I don't know where Kiki is, then I don't know where Victoria is." She responded._

_Tears welled up in her eyes. "I wanna go home…"_

_The Eevee could only stare at her, not knowing how to comfort her. She'd tried hard in the past, and it was never enough. "S… come on… we'll get you home."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

XXX

Despite the scarring memory, Sara smiled to herself. She had taken the news rather well, the teenager assumed it was because of her vulnerable state. She was open to anything that day. The world could've ended and she would've been okay with it. Sara inhaled deeply, forcing herself to forget her sister and her Eevee, Kiki. She had to keep her eye on the ball.

As she continued to sneak through the grasses, she couldn't help but be uneasy. This would be her first time talking to a man in nearly seven years. Over the years, Tori and Kiki had been on her mind anytime she wasn't trying to hide. Even then she still thought of them. That's why she knew she had to find them. However, Sara knew how weak she was. Seven years had gone by and she still hadn't fought a single Pokémon battle with Nova, it was pathetic, but then again, technically she was abiding by Johto law. Well, that was only half true. Only sixteen year olds could be in possession of a Pokémon, she had broken that one, and the other law was that people without a training license could not conduct Pokémon battles. She sighed. Sara didn't want to break the law anymore than she already was, but she had already waited seven long years to see her sister and she refused to wait any longer. She was going to the Elm Laboratory and nothing was going to stop her.

"You sure 'bout this?" Nova whispered from her heels.

She nodded silently.

"Sara, may I remind you that if you get caught, you won't be able to hide from the police this time-"

The girl stopped. "Nova. If I could outwit the cops when I was no more than seven, then I think I can escape now. I'm a lot smarter than I used to be."

"But if you were to get caught, you would likely be sent to a home, and I would be auctioned off to some loser. This is a bad idea." She insisted.

She rolled her eyes. "It'll all work out. Besides, I know that some kids from New Bark Town are getting their starter Pokémon today, I'll just act like my 'mommy' and 'daddy' paid for a starter Pokémon and Pokédex for me. Besides, I look pretty clean-cut, don't I? I don't exactly fit the 'Street Rattata' description." Sara grinned, rubbing some of her long, golden hair in between her finger tips.

Nova finally gave in, giving an irritated sigh.

Sara smiled at her Pokémon's reaction as she began to walk further ahead. Her smile turned into a frown as she tugged at her new clothes. With her having no money, she of course had to steal them. If she didn't have to meet a professor, she probably would've stuck with her grungy old T-shirt and torn up jeans. Although she didn't take very girly clothing, they were still too new-looking for her liking. Once again, she wore jeans and sneakers, but her top had changed from the old T-shirt to a new blue plaid button-down shirt. Sara had waited to take the clothes on a busy business day for the store in Cherrygrove City before walking inside. She had made sure to make herself as unrecognizable as possible. The girl had thrown her hair up into a tight bun and made sure to look down the whole time so any security cameras wouldn't have a clear view of her facial features. She quickly picked out the outfit, making sure to take various sizes of the clothing so she wouldn't have to leave the dressing room for the right size. Once inside, she tried on the shirts and pants until she found the ones she liked. Sara then hid her old ratty clothes in with the store's clothes and ripped the tags and stickers off the clothes; walking out of the store with the stolen clothes on her body. None of the employees noticed.

As New Bark Town came into her sights, Sara exited the greenery, stepping onto the exposed path. She hadn't done that in a while. Nova fell into step with her master, hiding her nerves with a confident face. Sara flinched when a young boy ran past her, a Rattata running at his heels.

"C'mon, Rattata! We've gotta go battle Johnny!" He shouted, nearly stumbling as he looked back at his normal type.

"Geez, Joey, I know!" Rattata squeaked back, struggling to keep up with the young boy.

Sara rose an eyebrow at the two. The boy was clearly underage, but then again, so was she, and she was no nark. She shrugged it off and walked right into the town, having a feeling that the boy wouldn't be the only underage trainer she would encounter.

Her eyes widened at the sight of windmills as they towered over the petite town.

"Is that safe?" She asked.

Nova shrugged. "Probably not."

Sara sighed, but continued towards the largest building. It was interesting-looking. There was quite obviously a house on the top floor where the stairs led, but the bottom… it didn't look like a laboratory. She and Nova exchanged uncertain glances as they neared the doors. Sara reached out for the door handle. The door opened with a slight creaking that send shivers down her spine. The lab's lights were off and the place didn't look like anyone had been inside yet.

She swallowed rather loudly, wondering if she should wait-

"We going or what?" Nova asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Sara nodded breathlessly, tentively stepping into the building, her knees rattling against each other as her whole self stepped inside. Her new sneakers squeaked on the tiled floor as she walked. Taking a look around, she closed the door, assured that no one was inside. She licked her suddenly dry lips, her blue eyes scanning the room for the starter Pokémon.

"See anything, Nov?" She whispered.

Nova flicked her tail towards the corner to the right. "Try the machine. It looks promising."

She gave a curt nod and proceeded towards the machine, careful not to make any noise or touch anything.

"Oh, and S, I think I see the Poké-whatsits over there." Nova interrupted, pointing with her muzzle at the exam table on the other side of the machine she'd shown her moments before.

Sara couldn't help but smile when she saw the Pokédexes. There were three: one a deep crimson red, another was a light shade of blue, and the last one was a hot pink color. Beside the dexes was a box chock full of unused pokéballs and three belts to hold them. She felt a little guilty as she changed courses from the machine to the table. The teenager decided that since she already had Nova that having a dex and pokéballs with a belt were more necessary than a second Pokémon. Pushing the guilty feeling away, she eagerly grabbed at the light blue Pokédex and plucked five of the empty balls from the box along with one of the belts, snapping the empty balls on before wrapping the belt snuggly around her waist. With the dex still clutched in her hands, Sara went back to the white machine. Her eyes widened when she saw the three pokéballs with the Johto starter Pokémon sitting just beyond the glass. Spying the button that controlled the glass shield that protected the precious balls, Sara elbowed the button. She couldn't risk getting any finger prints anywhere. With a beeping noise, the glass retracted into the machine. A light mist flew from the once sealed container. Not waiting for the mist to completely clear, she grabbed one of the pokéballs and ran towards the door, her heart racing.

"Let's go, Nova." Sara quietly hissed, quickly scanning the area for any New Bark Town residents or Arceus forbid, the professor and the three trainers who were supposed to get the starter Pokémon.

Nova nodded, swiftly following her trainer without a second thought.

XXX

Sara's heart beat faster and harder than it had in a long time. It'd beaten faster before when she was little though… Frowning, she shook her head clear of the disturbing thoughts of the past as her sprint slowed to a light jog once she hit the safety of the tall grass. Nova did the same, her tiny chest heaving with effort as she eyed Sara's hands with interest.

"So when are… you going… to see which Pokémon's …in there?" She asked as she caught her breath.

"R-right." Sara stammered, staring at the white part of the pokéball, afraid of the Pokémon's reaction to being taken.

Nova gave her an irritated sigh. "Just open it already, I want to meet the new Pokémon now!"

Sara chuckled. "You sound like a little Eevee kit."

The Eevee scowled at her remark, her eyes flickering between the sphere and the ground in her slight embarrassment.

"But… before we meet the new Pokémon, I say we check out the Pokédex."

"Procrastinator."

"Shut up."

Sara rolled her eyes and flipped the electronic open, her eyes lighting up as a robotic voice greeted her.

_"Welcome, new trainer. Please insert your trainers' card for a tutorial."_

She froze up at those words, clamping the dex shut with a sigh. "That's going to have to wait."

Nova looked at Sara skeptically. "Right, in like what, two years?"

Sara shook her head, not taking her eyes off the device. "I'll find a loop-hole."

"You're going to get arrested, I just know it." Nova muttered.

Her heart sped up just at her words, knowing the Eevee spoke the truth. She kept dodging bullet after bullet after bullet with the law. Sara's gaze went back to the pokéball, wondering if she should fess up and put the Pokémon back in the lab. She gritted her teeth, deciding to take her chances as the guilt gnawed at her conscious.

"Alright… let's see who we got."

"Finally!" Nova cheered, her seriousness fading away at her words.

Licking her dry lips, she pushed the little white button on the ball, watching as it grew to a size that took up her whole hand. Without a word, she tapped the button once more, nearly flinching as a bright light shot from the ball. A smile spread across her face when she saw the Pokémon: a Chikorita. Nova stared at the grass type with great interest as it blinked sleepily, giving an irritated moan as sunlight bore down on its eyes.

"Who turned on the sun?" It muttered, the large leaf on its head twitching at the sudden light.

Nova turned to Sara and grimaced. "I think we got ourselves a lazy ass."

Sara shot her a silencing glare. The Chikorita stared at Nova as its sight adjusted.

"Well aren't you just peachy." It said sarcastically.

Nova rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Nov. Be a little nicer, please?" Sara pleaded.

With a huff, she nodded, her tail waving back and forth as she fought to keep her temper. The Chikorita turned its head to Sara.

"Who are you?" It asked.

Drawing in a deep breath, she responded. "I'm Sara, y-your new… trainer."

The Pokémon nodded, suddenly going into deep thought before turning to Nova. "She's a really good guesser."

Nova snickered, causing the grass starter to give her a look of confusion. "Yeah, she's a pro at that."

Chikorita eyed Sara suspiciously.

"U-um… so what's your name?" She stammered.

"Call me Roy." He replied, tossing his leaf, smirking as it spun around on his head as he looked back at Nova. "Let's see her guess this one."

"Alright." Nova shrugged, giving Sara a knowing look.

Sara's smile faltered more, wondering how Roy would react when she told him that not only could she understand him, but she also stole him from the Elm Laboratory. "Hello, Roy." She muttered.

Roy's smug look vanished, his eyes widening. "H-how-"

"I can talk to Pokémon." Sara said bluntly, faintly smiling at him.

Nova sat down beside the shocked Chikorita. "Better watch what you say." She smirked, nudging Roy.

"I… didn't know that could happen." He muttered, staring at the dirt below him.

Sara shrugged, moving a lock of her hair out of her face. "Neither did we."

The three sat in an awkward silence. Sara shuffled her feet, Nova absent mindedly pawed at the ground, and Roy stared at the sky. The girl stared at her stolen outfit and frowned.

_I can't believe I stole these for nothing. _She thought, suddenly wishing that she was still in her old raggedy t-shirt and jeans instead.

Sara cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the Eevee and Chikorita. "Urm, we should probably get going. I want to get at least half way to Violet City by tonight." She said, forcing her voice to be firm and confident. She didn't want either one of the Pokémon to view her as anything less than a leader. Especially Roy. Sara then started walking through the grass, her eyes darting back and forth to assure herself that no one was watching. She felt Nova's bushy tail brush against her leg and allowed a smile to cross her features. Her smile broadened when Roy followed, not able to believe that he hadn't questioned her further.

"So, Sara, was I your first choice when you were picking a Pokémon out with the professor?" He asked, appearing on her right.

"Yeah." Sara replied, keeping it brief.

Roy nodded, not taking his eyes off her. "Who did Raquel and Jeff go with then?" He asked.

"Hm?" She responded, beginning to feel a bit nervous.

"You didn't talk to them?" Roy asked, clearly surprised.

"No… Who are they?"

"Raquel's the professor's Totadile, and Jeff's the professor's Cyndaquil. And you probably know who Ethan, Crystal, and Lyra are, right? Anyway, I know that since Ethan already has Clara that he probably didn't take Raquel or Jeff so you and the other two could have them. Oh, and before you answer, I want to guess. I think that… Crystal probably took Raquel and Lyra ended up with Jeff. Did I get it right?" Roy asked.

"I-I'm not sure. I um, left as soon as I got you and my stuff from the professor." Sara stammered, not meeting Roy's gaze.

Roy gave her a look of suspicion before asking another question. "Why didn't you introduce yourself to me at the lab? I would've liked to say good bye to Jeff and Raquel before we left."

Sara fell silent for a moment before responding. "I just wanted to get going; I'm a rather ambitious person." She lied, not meeting Roy's gaze.

The Chikorita nodded slowly. "Alright, good to know."

"So," Nova began, trying her best to ease the situation, "do you think we're going to take the gym challenge?"

Sara nodded, her eyes flashing as she remembered the reason she'd stolen those clothes, those pokéballs, that Pokédex, that Chikorita. She would get back to Tori one way or another, and damn it she wanted to make her father pay for not trying hard enough to save her. And the only way she was going to make it happen was by getting a team that people would take one look at and run. The name, 'Phantom Child', was not going to mean 'reward' anymore. The Phantom Child would be a name of respect, perhaps even a name to be feared. She didn't care. Sara just didn't want her little 'nickname' to make people think of money. The gym challenge was her only way out.

**Sorry for not doing anything on FF lately... I've been busy. Also, sorry if this chapter sucked. Well, I'll try to update a little quicker next time.**

**~Spottedeyes**


End file.
